The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-25
Literary
TEXAR'S REVENGE
BY JULES VERNE.


| Wltnou1 even stopping.
The first mea, was taken together. The boxes
contained twenty days provisions. and there
were a number of packages ready to be carried
when the journey had to be continued overland.
And there the necessaries for camping,
either by day night. in the thick woods with
| which the river banks are clothed.
| At IL o'clock when the tide turned, the wind
remained favorable, but the oars had to be
| taken to keep up the speed The blacks bent
! cheerily to their work, and propelled by ten
| vigorous pairs the boat rapidly assembled the
river.
Mars sat silently at the helm, taking the boat
| without hesitation through the channels among
the islands and islets with which the river is
| dotted. Where the stream was weakest he took
his way without hesitation. Never did he enter
| impracticable channol never did he risk
grounding any of the shoals which the ebb
would soon leave dry He knew the river to
Lake George well be knew it below Jack
| sonvle, and he piloted the boat with as much
certainty as he had piloted Stevens's fotilla
the bar
| Hereabouts the ST. Johns was deserted. Since
| the capture of Jacksonville the trading boats on
the river had been stopped, and there was no
sci on the river except for the use of the troops
under the orders of Commandant Stevens
have disappeared.
About 6 o'clock in the evening Picolata was
reached. A detachment of Northerners occu-
pied the pier The boat was hailed and had to
alongside. Gilbert Burbank made himself
known to the commanding officer, and showing
the pass with which he had been furnished
by Commander Stevens, was allowed to pro-
coed.
The halt lasted but minute or The tide
began to turn, the oarsmen stopped and the
boat under sail sped on between the woods that
frnged the stream. On the left bank the forest
soon ended in a marsh. On the right the for
est remained thick and intermin able, and they
would have it with them all the way to Lake
George At times it ran back little, and fields
of rice. and indigo, and cotton filed up the
stretches in front, and bore witness to the fer
tility of the Floridan peninsula.
little after o'clock bend of the river
shut out the view of the red tower of the old
Spanish fort which, for a century and more,
had been abandoned.
Mars, asked James Burbank. "you are not
afraid to keep to the river during the night"
mo- sir" said Mars. II can answer for my
self all the way Lake George. Beyond that
we shall see. We have not a moment lose,
and as long as the tide serves we had better take
advantage of it. think we might as well carry
on night and day.
There was occasion to regret this decision.
All night the boat kent her way: when the
tide failed the oars were got Neither that
night nor the following nor the day of the ed
or March. nor the next twelve hours were
marked by any adventure. The upper course of
the river seemed to be quite deserted. The
route lay through long forest of ancient
cedars. whose leafy again and again
came close to the bank and formed thick bower
of verdure Villages they Planta-
tons or isolated habitations there were
The banks OF the river showed no trace of Guilt
walton. On the 23d. day break, the river broad
ou0d a of
as usual, by the interIninabie forest. The coun-
try became very fiat and opened out till the
horizon was miles away.
They had reached the lake which the St.
Johns traverses from south to north, and from
which it drains a part of its waters
Yes said Mars, "this is Lake George, which
came to when l was with the expedition to the
upper river"
"And how far are we from Candles Bav?"
asked James Burbank.
"a hundred miles," said Mars
THAT is third of the distance to the
Everglades" said Carol.
Mars" said Gilbert, what to do now2
Are we to leave the boat and take to the bank!
That will be slow, iaborious affair. When
are through the lake. cannot we keep to the wa
ter as long it is navigable? Shall we try it,
keeping ready, OF course, TO take to the shore
soon as we run aground! We might as well try
it. What do you think?
''We will try it, Mr. Gilbert"
And they could not have done better.
There would be time enough to take to the
land. To keep to the water meant the saving of
much fatigue and delay. And the boat headed
out across the lake. keeping the eastern bank
well in view.
urlant as by the riverside Extensive marshes
stretch away almost of sight. Some por-
tons OF the SOIL less exposed to the invasion of
the waters. carpeted with black moses,
from which spring violet clouds of tiny fungi
growing in millions. Only the waterfowl could
venture across these marshes. and they were
alive with infinite mum oers of teal, and duck, and
snpe. If the expedition short of provisions,
here was enough to fill the vacancy without diff
En,ltr c11l1-
would have to risk meeting with armies of dan
gerouS snakes, whose hissings could be even
heard in the boat, and whose 'ravenous enemies.
the white pecans, rose in focks along the mar
gin of the lake.
The boat slipped along rapidly under SAIL with
the wind from the north. The breeze was so
fresh that the oars were not needed throughout
the day, and when evening the thirty
miles which Lake George measures from north
to south had been traversed without fatigue
About o'clock James Burbank and his men
had reached the lower angle by which the st.
Johns enters the lake.
If they stopped-and the stoppage was only to
take breath for half an hour at the outsiGe-ir
was because three or four houses formed a viii
lage at this place. These were occupied by
some of those nomadic Floridaus VINO devote
themselves chiefly to hunting and fishing at the
beginning of the season At CarrolPs sucges-
tion it seemed opportune to ask for information
relative to the passage of Texar.
One of the inhabitants questioned During
the last few days had he seen 3 boat crossing
Lake George towards Lake Washington; boat
with seven eight people, woman of
color. and little child of white birtha
Yes" said the man. 1.-TWO days ago saw 8
boat like that"
Did it stop here?" asked Gilbert.
mol 1t kept on as has hard it could go to the
upper river. l distinctly saw q woman with
child in her arms"
INV friends" said Gilbert, ''there is hope for
usi We are really on the traces of Texar."
YES" answered James Burbank. 'he is only
forty eight hours in front OF and if keep
to the boat shall gain on him"
"Do you know the river about Lake George?"
asked Carol.
Eyes, sir: have been up 10 more than a hun
dred miles"
do you think it navigable for boat like
oursl'
what does she drawl"
About three feet" said Mars.
.sThree feet" said the man. THAT may do.
If you take soundings you go you will get into
Lake Washington"
e. -ta1l~ ~